Gentle Snow Confessions Moonlight no Sakura
by Moonlight-no-Sakura
Summary: This is my first fanfiction. It's shojo and it is IchiRuki. Please enjoy it.


Gentle Snow Confessions

The night was a cold winter night. Snow softly fell from the sky. Orihime sat at her bed gazing at the window. She watched the beautiful snow fall. Then, she drifted into deep thought. She thought about how much she loved Ichigo. All she wanted was for him to care about her the way she did him. Given very much thought as to how much she loved him, she decided that she was going to tell him that she loved him tomorrow.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted as she watched him pass by.

"Yeah Inoue?" Ichigo replied. He looked like he was in a hurry, but Orihime didn't care about that at the moment.

"I just wanted you to know, that I...that I...that I...," Orihime's voice was trembling.

"That you what Inoue?" Ichigo said with an apathetic voice.

Tears leaked out of Orihime's eyes. She then grabbed his shirt. "I just want you to know that I'm in love with you Kurosaki-kun! I love you so much that it hurts. I think about you every night just hoping that you'd love me back! Do you? Do you love me back, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo truly didn't love Orihime, but it came so sudden that he didn't know what to say. If he rejected her, would she still be his friend or will she hate him forever? However, Icihgo wasn't worried about if she would hate him or not. He was afraid of hurting her. He didn't want to hurt her because she was his friend, but what would that mean for him? Will he be happy?

"Inoue, I love you. You are my love and life," Ichigo forced himself to say. He then forced himself to smile, and hug Orihime. "I'll walk you home and we'll discuss our date on the way."

The date had been set to a pizza date. Ichigo and Orihime were talking about their relationship. Orihime was certainly happy, but Ichigo on the other hand was not. He listened to Orihime talk about how happy she was. Then, he stopped listening and started to think. _I'm so unhappy with her, but as her friend, should I make her happy? Will I lose Rukia to Renji if I continue this? _The thought of losing Rukia to Renji made Ichigo shiver. He and Renji had been long time rivals for Rukia's affection.

"Ichigo," a familiar voice said, "Did you forget that Renji invited you to go bowling with him today? He's been wondering where you were." Ichigo turned his head to see who it was.

"Rukia! Sorry, With all that's happened I forgot about the plans that I made with Renji," Ichigo said suddenly cheering up.

"What happened. Did something bad happen to Inoue?" Rukia asked as she saw Orihime.

"No. It's just that I discovered that I loved Inoue just yesterday," Ichigo said. It sounded so wrong to him, especially that he was saying this in front of Rukia.

"You know what. Forget it. I'll just tell Renji that you had more important plans," Rukia said as she ran off. Was it just him or did Ichigo see that Rukia's eyes were filling up with tears?

"Are you okay, Rukia?" Renji asked when Rukia returned to the ally. By that time, Rukia was crying.

"Renji, you are my best friend, and because that, I can't lie to you. I've known for a long time that you liked me, but I'm sorry. I don't feel the same way about you as you do me. I'm in love with Ichigo. I found him and he was on a date with Inoue. He said that he loved her. I guess I just can't compete with Inoue. I know that I'm being selfish, and I don't want to be, but Ichigo's my love! I'm not being fair to Inoue either. She loves him too, and I'm only thinking of my true happiness. I'm such a horrible friend!" Rukia confessed her heart and soul to Renji. Though unhappy that she loves Ichigo, Renji decided that he was defeated, and that he had to move on.

"You're not a horrible friend. To me, you're the best friend anyone could ever have. So what you love Ichigo. And so what if Inoue does too? Being in love a not a crime. Anyone can fall in love. And how do you know that Ichigo doesn't love you? Just because he loves Inoue doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. Don't jump to conclusions that he doesn't love you, Rukia. If he doesn't, then he's a total retard," Renji said as he hugged Rukia. With Renji's comforting words and his warm embrace, Rukia's tears slowly stopped flowing.

Ichigo and Orihime were walking by the bowling ally when Ichigo saw Renji and Rukia hugging. Ichigo felt great discomfort and jealousy as he saw them.

"Inoue, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh, bye Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo ran to the big Christmas tree that was set up in the center of Karakura during the holidays. He sat and thought about what he had seen. _I lost her. I lost to Renji. And yet...and yet...I can't help but love her. _Ichigo sat at the tree thinking for over three hours. It was already dark. He finally decided to go home.

When he got home, it was past midnight. Ichigo walked to his room and lied on his bed. All his dreams of being with Rukia was now crushed. _It's Renji's fault. If he didn't rival with me for Rukia, then I wouldn't be like this. No, it isn't Renji's fault. It's mine. I didn't fight hard enough for her. I said yes to Inoue. _

The night quickly passed. When Ichigo got to school the next day, Rukia and Renji weren't in school. All through out the day, Ichigo couldn't think. All he thought about was Rukia and Renji, and what he was doing to Orihime. _I'm leading her on because I'm afraid of hurting her, but leading a girl on is something nobody should ever do. I have to break up with her._

At lunch, Ichigo approached Inoue and said, "Inoue, I need to to have a word with you."

"Sure Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime said happily.

"I shouldn't have told you that I loved you. I was just trying to make you happy. The truth is, you're not the one that I truly love. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Tears welled up in Orihime's eyes, but Ichigo didn't say anything to comfort her afraid that he would boost her hopes.

Ichigo then runs off school grounds to look for Rukia. He sees her in her shinigami form ready to depart for Soul Society with Renji.

"Rukia! Wait! I need to tell you something!" Ichigo said as he ran towards her.

Hearing him, Rukia turns around. Her face seemed different. She wasn't the same happy Rukia as Ichigo remembered her to be. Her face was so sad. Ichigo comes towards her and cups his hand under her chin, forcing her gaze up to him.

"I'm in love with you, Rukia," Ichigo sincerely said.

"But I thought that you loved Inoue," Rukia replied.

"You're wrong, Rukia. I was just trying to make her happy. I don't love her. I love you, Rukia."

"Ichigo, I'm in love with you too. I was just worried that you didn't love me back."

"So you're not in love with Renji?"

"No. He was just comforting me. I was just so upset when you told me that you loved Inoue."

Relieved, Ichigo wipes Rukia's tears away. He then lowers his head and kisses her passionately. The snow falls softly and for the first time in days, the sun shined. Renji watches Ichigo and Rukia in the background and softly says, "Ichigo, I have lost. I accept defeat and I will move on. Enjoy your life with Rukia, and please take care of her."


End file.
